Soda motor



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. R. ZELL. SODA MOITOR.

Patented June 2,1891.

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(No Model.)

B. R. ZELL.

SODA MOTOR.

No. 453,334. Patented June '2, 1891.

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' R. 'R. ZELL.

, SODA MOTOR. v No. 453,334. w Patented June 2, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT R. ZELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE ZELL STORED POIVER COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF SAME PLACE.

SODA-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,334, dated June 2, 1891.

' Applic i n filed November's, 1890. Serial No. 37 .513. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT R. ZELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soda-Motors, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in soda-motors in which the exhauststea'm of the motor is absorbed in a body of caustic soda, caustic potash, chloride of calcium, quicklime, strontia, or any other substance which has a strong affinity for Water and which, therefore, readily absorbs the steam from the motor.

As is well known, all such substances during the process of absorption of the steam liberates the heat which is latent in the water or steam, and consequently a rise in temperature takes place. The heat thus set free is utilized in generating a quantity of steam froma certain bulk of water which is brought into contact with the Water-absorbing and heat-liberating soda. This Well-known property of the canstic alkalies of absorbing steam and liberating heat, which can be practically employed in heating water and generating steam for motive power, is especially well adapted for use in motors which are, to be used in street-car service, in tunnels, &c., or wherever it is desired to use motive power without the usual smoke or noise of exhaust. Therefore the object of my invention is to use this valuable property of the alkalies to. the best advana good partial vacuum in the absorbing-ves' sel, and thereby to reduce the amount of bacle pressure upon the piston of the motor, from which the exhaust-steam emanates.

A further object of my invention is to utilize the heat retained in the exhaust-steam for heating the feed-water of the generator, thereby reducing its temperature and rendering it more readily absorbed by the alkali.

The nature of my invention will fully appear from the description setforth in the annexed specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and which will be particularly pointed out'in the claims.

In the drawings my invention is shown as applied to a street-car, although its general application to all motive-power purposes will be self-evident from the description and the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car provided with the motor. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the steam absorber and generator, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the cover of the generator.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

A is the combined condenser, absorber, and steam-generator, and it consists of the outer shell A and an inner shell B, which is centrally located, leaving an annular space 0. Atthe top the condenser-generator is provided with a head D, which has an annular 8o enter holes in the shell 13, thus establishinga communication between chamber B and the chamber E through the tubes I, coiled about the interior of B, and lying close to it is a coiled pipe J, which enters the shell B at a point K, and which leaves the chamber B at the bottom through a hole at L. Any number of coils may be used, and by this construction the shell B may be made thin and the external pressure thereon will be fully taken up by the resistance of the coil, thus rendering further internal bracing unnecessary and deriving the benefit of a high degree of conductivity due to the thinness of B. The chamber B is charged with the alkaliup to a certain point, say to the line mac, and the chamber 0 is likewise filled with water up to the line 00 0C. The alkali is filled into the vessel through a convenient opening and stopvalve at M.

N are convenient brackets for supporting the generator on the floor of the car.

At the station the chamber 0 is filled with hot water under considerable pressure, so that sufficient steam fills the space above the water-line 5c 00 to supply the motor-engine at starting. The steam passes through the coil J, which leads to a throttle-valve 0, said throttle-valve being conveniently operated from the platform by means of the hand-rod P. The throttleO opensinto the main steampipe Q to a motor-engine R. The power is transmitted from the motor to the car-wheels S by means of suitable gearing. The exhauststeam from the motor passes through the pipe T into a feed-water tank and heater U, and is provided with a coil inside to present a large heating-surface to the feed-water. After coiling through U the exhaust pipe T emerges at V and continues back to the generator A. The tank U, instead of being provided with the internal coil, may be built like an ordinary tubular condenser with the exhaust-steam on one side of the tubes and the feedwater on the other side thereof. The exhaust-pipe V enters the chamber B at a point W, where a valve is provided. The tank U is filled with feed-water at the station through a pipe Y and valve X.

a. is an opening into the chamber E, at which communication is efifected with a box A ,whieh contains a gas-absorbing substanoe as, for instance, lime or oxide of iron-which is to absorb the carbonic-acid gas or other gases which may arise in E. I

13 is any convenient safety-valve, a popvalve being preferred.

1) is an opening in the cover F, at which a pipe 0 is attached leading to the suctionvalve of a vacuum-pump D. The steam-cylinder of this vacuum-pump D receives its steam from the main steam-pipe Q through a branch pipe E, which leads to a throttle-valve F and then into the valvc'chamber G of the cylinder.

steam-pipe Q to the throttlc-valve N and from thence to the valve-chest 0 of the steam-cylinder I.

P is the exhaust-pipe of the steam-cylinder I, and it leads into the main engine exhaust V and this to the alkali-chamber 15. Instead of leading into the pipe V, the pipe P may lead directly into the valve \V. A stop-valve is located at a, so that the pipe P may be disconnected from the main exhaust V when the feed-pump is not in operation.

Q is the handle, by means of which the throttle N is manipulated.

R is the stem of a reversing valve or mechanism for reversing the engine R, and S is the connection leading to the handle '1" on the platform.

U is a clutch, by means of which the engine may be disconnected from the running-gear of the car, and V is the connection leading to the hand-wheel W on the platform.

X is a hand-wheel for controlling the brakes of the car.

Y is a valve, by means of which the alkaline solution in B is drawn off for refilling.

The following is the operation of my device: At the station the chamber 13 is filled with a concentrated solution of an alkali which will readily absorb steam or water, and the chamber 0 is filled with hot water under pressure of several atmospheres, capable of starting and running the motor until the generation of the steam through chemical action takes place by means of the steam rising from the hot water. The steam from the hotwater chamberO passes to the motor Rthrough the throttle O, and then through the livesteam pipe Q. The exhaust from the motor passes by the pipe T through the coil in the feed-water tank, heats the feed-water therein, and at the same time is partially condensed, thus rendering the exhaust cooler and more readily absorbed by the alkali. The partiallycondensed exhaust-steam passes to the surface of the alkali in B, and by means of the vacuum in E it is drawn down into the body of the alkali and is absorbed. Heat of absorption is liberated, owing to the chemical union of the water with the alkali, and the alkali becomes highly heated and imparts this heat to the water surrounding B and the tubes I. Each stroke of the vacuum-pump causes a pulsation to take place in the alkali, so that its level is lowered in B and is raised in the tubes. These pulsations of the absorbing medium cause a still more thorough intermixture with the entering exhaust-steam, and also increase the temperature of the alhall and produce a corresponding increase in the heating effect on the water in the generator 0. As the steam on passing through the coil J has to pass through the highly-heated alkaline solution, it is not alone thoroughly dried, but is also superheated, thus making it more efficient in the motor itself and partially reducing the temperature of the absorbing medium, and rendering said absorbing medium more efiicient. Any noxious gases which may be present in the alkali are ab-. sorbed in the gas-absorber at a. By means of the combined action of the cooling in the feedwater tank, the absorption in the condenser, and the effect of the vacuum-pump 'a very good Vacuum is produced, and there is therefore little back-pressure on the piston of. the motor. The exhaust-steam from the feed and vacuum pumps is also absorbed in the condenser and yields its heat to the water in the generator, and these pumps also work with little back-pressure. At the end of theronte the alkaline solution, having become saturated with water, is too weak to absorb more steam, and at the station it is therefore drawn off at the bottom through valve Y and refilled with a fresh solutionv at M. The solution which is withdrawn is re'concentrated in a specially-devised apparatus.

It is obvious that the devices herein shown can be used for operating stationary machines, as for shop-work, pumping, the.

I do not herein claim the method of operation disclosed in this application, as I have applied for the same in application for Letters Patent, filed November 6, 1890, Serial No. 370,512; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a soda-motor, the combination of a vessel containing an absorbing solution, an exhaust-steam pipe leading steam from the motor to the surface of said solution, and a pump for drawing said steam through the body of said solution, substantially as described.

2. In a soda-motor, the combination of an engine, an exhaust-steam pipe, a vessel containing an absorbing solution into which said pipe empties, a water-containing vessel surrounding said vessel, and tubes conducting said absorbing solution through the body of the water in said water-vessel, whereby the heat of absorption is utilized in generating steam to operate said motor, substantially as described.

3. In a soda-motor, the combination of an engine, an exhaust-steam pipe leading therefrom and into a vessel containing an absorbing solution, a water-containing vessel surrounding said absorber, whereby steam is generated by means of the heat of absorption, tubes leading from the absorber and through the water-vessel into a chamber, and a vacuum-pump connected to said chamber for drawing the exhaust-steam through the body of the absorbing medium, substantially as described.

4:. In a soda-motor, the combination of the exhaust-pipe of said motor, an absorbing-vessel into which said exhaust-steam passes, a

surrounding steam-generator which utilizes the heat of absorption, tubes conducting the heated absorbing medium through said generator, and a pipe leading the steam thus generated through the body of said absorbing medium, whereby it becomes superheated, substantially as set forth.

5.. In a soda-motor, the combination of an exhaust-steam pipe leading from the motor, a feed-water tank through which the exhauststeam passes, an absorbing-vessel for the exhaust-steam, and a generator surrounding said absorber and into which the heated feedwater passes, whereby the exhaust-steam is utilized to heat the feed-water to be reduced in temperature, thus rendering it more easily absorbed, substantially as set-forth.

6. In a soda-motor, the combination of an absorbing-vessel into which the exhaust-steam pipe of the motor leads, a surrounding steamgenerator, a pipe leading from said steamgenerator, terminating in a coil passing through the absorbing-vesssel in close contact with the walls thereof, whereby the steam is superheated and the walls of the absorber are braced against the external pressure of the steam in the generator, substantially as described.

7. In a soda-motor, the combination of the exhaust-steam pipe, an absorbing-vessel for the exhaust-steam, a steam-generating vessel surrounding the absorber, tubes opening into the absorber and passing through the generator into a chamber, and a vacuum-pump connected to said chamber, substantially as described.

8. In a soda-motor, the combination of the exhaust-steam pipe, an absorbing-vessel connected therewith, a steam-generator surrounding the absorber, tubes opening into the absorber and passing through the generator into a chamber,a vacuum-pump attached to said chamber, and a steam-pipe leading from the generator through a pipe located in the absorber, whereby the steam becomes superheated, substantially as described.

9. In a soda-motor, the combination of an exhaust-pipe, an absorber into which the exhaust passes, a steam-generator surrounding the absorber, tubes opening into the absorber and passing through the generator and into a chamber, a steam-pipe passing from the generator and coiling through the absorber, a vacuum-pump attached to said chamber, and a gas-absorbing vessel connected with said chamber, substantially as described.

1O. In a soda-motor, the combination of the exhaust-pipe of the motor, a feed-water heater through which the exhaust leads, an absorber for the exhaust-steam and a generator surrounding the absorber, into which the feed-water passes and is converted into steam by the heatof absorption, and a vacuumpump for drawing the exhaust-steam through the absorbing medium, substantially as described.

11. In a soda-motor, the combination of a feed-water heater through which the exhaust i avaouuln-punip connecting with the tubes, and a steam-pipe leading from the generator through the absorber, whereby the steam is superheated and passes to said motor, substantially as described.

12. In a soda-motor, the combination of a vessel receiving the exhaust-steam and absorbing it in an alkaline solution, a surrounding steam-generator, pipes leading the solution into the generator, and means whereby the exhaust-steam is caused to be drawn through the solution and the solution is agitated in contact with the generator-surface, substantially as described.

13. In a soda-motor, the combination of the exhaust-pipe, a feed-water heater connected therewith and with a steam-generator surrounding an absorber, into which the exhaustwater heater through which the exhaust passes, an absorbing steam-generator, superheating-pipes for the steam passing through the absorber, and gearing connecting the mo- 0 tor with the wheels of said car, substantially as described.

ROBERT R. ZELL. \Vitnesses:

J. VERNON CAMPBELL, J. B. EVANS. 

